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You feel a constant pinch in your chest, or pain in your lower abdomen, or you may experience nose bleeding quite too often, but you don’t visit a doctor or go for a check-up. There is this inexplicable fear that binds you. You do want to be treated but something keeps you at bay and doesn’t let you do the right thing,which in this case would be to visit a hospital. Well, if you are experiencing, or have experienced something like this, you are not alone. There are millions around the world who linger from the same fear and that fear has a legit medical term and it is called Iatrophobia.
How Do I Know If I Have Iatrophobia
Dr Altaf Ahmad Malla, Addiction Psychiatrist, Forensic Psychiatrist and Neuropsychiatrist, Srinagar, explains that it can be challenging to determine whether your symptoms are indicative of a full-blown phobia because it is common to feel anxious before seeing a doctor. This decision can only be made by a licensed mental health practitioner. There are a few indicators, though, that your fear of doctor visits is excessive. All, some, or none of the following could happen to you:
Symptoms Of Iatrophobia
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Obsessive Worrying
Even normally sitting in the waiting area or travelling to the doctor's office can cause stress. However, if your fears are within an expected range, you will be able to divert your attention from the anxiety and won't be thinking about an impending visit for a long time. However, an impending medical appointment could be the cause of your incessant anxiety if you suffer from iatrophobia. It may be hard or impossible for you to concentrate on other things. You are likely to feel panicked and like you are losing control once you arrive at the doctor's office. You might sweat, shake or cry, or even refuse to enter the examination room.
White Coat Hypertension
Despite its controversy, many researchers have documented the phenomenon of white coat hypertension, with some studies indicating that up to 30% of people show symptoms. This happens when your blood pressure rises to a clinically significant level due to the stress of visiting a doctor. When you have WCH, your blood pressure is high at the doctor's office but normal when you're checked at home or somewhere else, like a health fair.
Causes Of Iatrophobia
Dr Malla says that might be more prone to be afraid of medical professionals or tests if you:
- Had numerous tests and doctor visits as a child to treat a medical condition.
- Had a negative encounter with your physician or received inadequate medical care.
- Possess a life-threatening illness like cancer or a chronic condition like diabetes that Necessitates frequent, occasionally excruciating tests or treatments.
- Your doctor has given you bad news about your health or the health of a loved one.
- Acted as a carer by going with a loved one to tests and frequent doctor's appointments.
- Lost a loved one to an illness or mishap while they were being treated by a physician.
- Possess a family history of anxiety disorders or phobias.
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How To Get Over Iatrophobia
A therapist or counsellor can assist you in overcoming a fear of medical professionals or tests by using:
CBT: Cognitive behavioural therapy assists you in examining the ideas, emotions, and actions associated with your fears. You can acquire techniques to alter your behaviour and these beliefs.
Exposure Therapy: To help you become less sensitive to your fear (desensitisation), exposure therapy combines relaxation techniques with gradual exposure to phobia triggers.
Hypno-Therapy: Through hypnotic treatments or trances, hypnotherapy assists you in altering your perspective on medical professionals and tests.
Also Read: Can’t Answer Calls? Know About Telephobia and Tips to Manage It
Conclusion
Having a fear of something is a normal phenomena. People have fears of heights, of water, of flying or even commitment (yes, there is), however, abandoning a school trip because of the fear of heights and not visiting a doctor have completely different consequences. And, the latter could have dire ones, given that time and again, experts insist on early diagnosis of diseases to effectively treat them.